'The Rules' (2014) for large symphony orchestra (25')
- Submitting institution
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Royal Northern College of Music
- Unit of assessment
- 33 - Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies
- Output identifier
- 23F
- Type
- J - Composition
- Month
- -
- Year
- 2014
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
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- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
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- Research group(s)
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1 - Composition
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- ‘The Rules’ is a 25-minute large-scale orchestral work commissioned by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYOGB). Although written for a youth orchestra, the NYOGB plays on a professional stage at the highest level, and this piece is conceived to demonstrate a variety of sophisticated approaches to orchestra forces. Each of the five movements considers an approach to composition/orchestration, a programmatic feature taken from interactions in science, and programmatic qualities taken from social interactions. These are reflected in the three titles for each movement. For example, ‘Transforming Patterns/Superposition/Families and Cliques’ (movement one) refers to the gradual transformation of blocks of musical material for orchestra sections, geological layering as a metaphor for layering these blocks, and the distinctive grouping of smaller and larger orchestra sections.
The piece is characterised by sequences of orchestral interactions, repetitions, variations and gradual transformations that consider idiosyncratic behaviours and hierarchies of orchestral sections, families, soloists and other groupings. For example, the second movement, framed by an orchestral unison and solo cello, includes rhythmically independent solo percussion (bb.67-99) conducted strings alongside independent groups (bars 80-121), and independent harp and percussion with the orchestra in rhythmic unison (bars 1a and 122). These interactions continue in the third and fourth movements dominated by two richly orchestrated lines, and the final movement spatialising three solo string players around dense orchestra textures. The piece, therefore, is conceived as a musical essay in orchestral behaviour and interaction, written with an orchestra that rehearses extensively in sectionals in mind.
‘The Rules’ was premièred by the NYOGB in January 2014 conducted by Paul Daniel for performances at the Barbican, Leeds Town Hall, and in schools for the orchestra outreach programme, was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, and was commercially released on Prima Facie in 2018.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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